


Out Of The Ordinary

by IStillPlayHideAndSeek



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Adoption, Annoyance, Boss - Freeform, CEO Levi, Child, Elevators, Eren - Freeform, Eren Jeager - Freeform, Eventual Smut, Fluff, I just like the thought of them being business men, Levi - Freeform, Levi Ackerman - Freeform, Like, Love, M/M, Mikasa - Freeform, Office, Old enough Eren, Stairs, eriri, love hate relationship, riren - Freeform, work relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-18
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-05-07 12:20:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5456336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IStillPlayHideAndSeek/pseuds/IStillPlayHideAndSeek
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren leads a normal enough life, supporting his family as much as he can with his dead end job, but when he makes one mistake, he finds himself face to face with CEO Levi. Life could only be so sweet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Eren stared out in front of him with tired, lidded eyes, not really paying attention to what was going on around him outside the coffee shop. Honestly, this was just part of his daily routine. Sipping on coffee while he watched the world revolve around him and get to work by nine. 

“Time for work.” Eren sighed, adjusting his tie, setting down his cup of coffee and picking up his cellphone after it vibrated more than a couple of times on the table, slowly inching it's way towards the edge. 

Silently, Eren stood up, grabbed his suitcase, pocketed his cellphone and walked around the small black gate that separated the coffee shop from the rest of the world. “Another day, another dollar.” he muttered under his breath, already looking forward to heading home and relaxing. 

With a small twitch of his nose, he headed for work. Even after graduating top of his class, Eren found himself working at a minimum wage job, working nine to five, sitting behind a computer and working on spread-sheets. Everyone around him minded their own business and seemed to only care about themselves. It's been a year and Eren still can't remember most of their names. 

Eren took in a deep breath as he neared his place of work, trying to find the strength to go through yet another routine day. With a small shake of his shoulders, Eren held his head high as he stepped into the office building, offering small smiles and nods of his head at his co-workers when their 'hello's were directed towards him. 

Eren made his way to the elevator and pushed the up button before stepping back and waiting for the doors to open up. The elevator dinged and the doors opened, showing that there was no one inside. With a small smile, Eren stepped inside and pressed the button for the fifth floor. A couple of seconds went by as Eren patiently waited for the doors to close when he heard an out of breath shout from the other side of the doors. 

“Hold the elevator!” someone called out, running towards the elevator. 

It was rare when Eren had the elevator to himself, should he hold the doors? The man seemed pretty desperate to get on, and it looked like he was an important person. While Eren was contemplating, the doors had begun to close. Eren was just about to reach out to stop them, but they had already closed. Blinking, he stepped away from the door with a small shrug. “He was right there too. Oh well, it's not like it'll break or anything. He could wait a couple of minutes.” 

The elevator stopped on his floor and Eren stepped out, making his way over to the desk and sitting down in really uncomfortable desk chair and cracked his fingers. “Let's get to work.” he muttered to himself, letting his fingers fly across the keyboard, filling in the blank spaces with letters and numbers that would confuse anyone that didn't know the weird language that is accounting. 

Time dragged on and on, it seemed like hours had gone by when lunch break had finally made it's way around. Standing up and stretching, Eren sighed for the hundredth time that day and walked over to the break room, planning on just buying something out of the vending machine. 

“Hey Eren! Did you hear? Someone didn't hold the elevator for Mr. Ackerman this morning and the elevator broke right after that person stepped off of it. I heard that there's going to be hell to pay. He was late for a meeting after having to run up thirty-seven flights of stairs.” One of Eren's many co-workers informed him before taking a bite out of her sandwich. “Do you have any idea as to who the idiot would be?” she asked, having no clue that the culprit in question was the man standing in front of her. 

Eren gulped, realizing that his move to keep the elevator to himself earlier in the morning had been a big mistake. “Wait, back up. What did you say the consequences were?” Eren asked without turning back to face her, knowing that he had a guilty look on his face. He put his money in the machine and punched in the code to the granola bar he wanted, watching it as the machine uncoiled and dropped the bar. 

“I heard that this mystery person was going to get fired. He almost missed a really important meeting. It's a good thing the boss man is in shape, or else he would have died half way up there.” she snorted. 

Eren reached down, slipping his hand through the slot to grab his snack. “Do you have any idea as to who it is?”

Before Eren could get a response out of gossip-girl, there was a knock at the door. “Eren Jeager, your presence is requested in the C.E.O.'s office. It's urgent.” a blonde, tall, well built man said, a look of disapproval on his facial features as he silently shook his head in Eren's direction. “The elevator may be fixed, but you are to walk up thirty two flights of stairs. You're a lucky man Eren, I convinced him not to hold your meeting on the roof.” the man said with a roll of his eyes before he walked away. 

Gossip-girl quickly turned to face Eren, opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water, rudely pointing her finger at Eren out of shock. 

“It's rare when I get the elevator all to myself.” Eren childishly huffed, making his way over to his desk, grabbing his suitcase, slipping his granola bar into it, and walking over to the door that led to the stair well. He dared not to look over his shoulder, knowing very well that gossip-girl was spreading the rumor like a forest fire. 

Clearing his throat, Eren held his head high as he opened the door and began lightly jogging up the stairs, taking two at a time. He wasn't even halfway there before he had to stop. His lungs were on fire and it hurt to swallow his now thick, saliva. 

“I didn't realize I was this out of shape. I need to start incorporating cardio into my workout.” he breathed after more than a couple of flights of stairs. He paused, leaning against the wall, wiping away the sweat of his forehead with the back of his palm. His legs were aching and his head was pounding. He needed to loosen his tie and unbutton the first few buttons of his button down shirt. “Just a couple more flights.” he whispered to himself. 

With a sense of victory, Eren pushed open the door that led to the C.E.O.'s office and ran to the nearest drinking fountain. “God, that's heaven.” he whispered, his voice hoarse. 

“You made me wait.” the same man that ran towards the elevator that morning, was now walking over to him. The aurora that surrounded the small man was more than enough to scare the living hell out of Eren, but it was the smirk that was playing on the edges of his lips that got to him. 

Eren stood in front of the man, sweaty, panting, thirsty as fuck, and just not presentable for the public. “I don't know you.” was the only thing that Eren said, immediately regretting it. 

The smirk that the man was sporting quickly turned into a deep frown. “I'm the man that you didn't hold the fucking elevator for. I want to speak with you. In my office, now.” Mr. Ackerman ordered before turning on his heels and walking towards the giant double doors. 

Eren couldn't help but notice that the guy had a small limp to his walk. He must have injured himself on the way up the stairs. He leaned down to take another sip of water before following who he could only assume was, his soon to be ex-boss. 

Mr. Ackerman walked around the big desk in the middle of the room and sat down in the desk chair behind it. “What do you have to say for yourself?” 

Eren set down his briefcase before walking over to one of the two seats that were facing the injured man. Just as he was about to sit down, Mr. Ackerman made a small clicking noise of disapproval with his tongue. 

Taking the hint, Eren kept standing up. “Did you hurt your leg on the way up here?” Eren asked. “I noticed that you were limping.” he explained when Mr. Ackerman had shot him a look of disbelief and confusion. 

“That was something that could have easily been avoided if you had just held those damned elevator doors. Because of you, I nearly missed a very important meeting. You're lucky I made it in time. I did, however, show up just like you did, not presentable.” 

Since Eren figured he would lose his job anyways, he decided to stand up for himself. “Actually, I heard that the elevator broke down right after I stepped off of it. If that were true, and if I had held the door open, you would have been stuck in the elevator right after I stepped off and not made it to the meeting at all. If anything, I think I did you a favor.” Eren had no idea he could grow such big balls in the face of danger, but he was kind of glad that he could. It felt nice standing up for himself, after a year in the same, dead-end job, Eren was getting fed up with everything. Maybe it was a good thing he was getting fired. 

Instead of talking back, Mr. Ackerman glared at Eren. Eren could hear the gears turning in his head, but he could care less, after all, he was about to get fired.

“You have a point.” Mr. Ackerman sighed, throwing his hands in the air, almost as if he were to surrender. 

Brows furrowed, Eren leaned in. Did he hear right? “... Could you repeat yourself?” 

“I said, you have a point. I needed the exercise anyways.” Mr. Ackerman said with a small shrug, leaning back in his chair, the smirk somehow finding it's way back onto his lips. 

Eren didn't like where this was going. If this didn't somehow lead to him ending up fired, he was going to quit. 

“I want to promote you.” 

Those four words, Eren thought he was never going to hear them, he had done nothing at all to deserve them. Did being an asshole really just accomplish an almost impossible feat? “What?” 

“There are a couple problems though. It seems that we have run out of rooms up here on my floor, so you will be working out of my office closet as my personal accountant. Also, the elevator is now off limits to assholes like you that are too selfish to share.” 

Eren stared right through his boss, eyes wide. This blessing was secretly disguised as a curse. Eren had to sit down, his legs threatening to give out. “I'm not sure it's legal to actually have someone work in such a small work area.” Eren decided to inform him in hopes that this man would stop beating around the bush and just fire him already. 

“Don't worry about that, I have connections that could easily make that legal. Any other complaints?” 

“I'd like to submit my two weeks notice.” Eren was quick to say, his hands were gripping the armrests of the chair tightly. 

“I'll double your pay.” Mr. Ackerman retorted just as fast. 

That made Eren stop and think. He could use the extra money at the moment, Mikasa was only a couple years away from going to college and he only had a couple thousand saved. “Fine, when do I start?” he asked, rubbing his temples, trying to keep the oncoming headache at bay. 

“Tomorrow, be here by nine. If you're late, I won't consider cleaning out the closet for you.” Mr. Ackerman threatened, interlacing his fingers like the bad guy in an action movie typically would. 

With yet another sigh, Eren stood up and rubbed the back of his neck. “If you'll excuse me.” he muttered, standing up, turning to walk out of the room. He stopped to grab his briefcase and turned to look at his boss. “If I were you, I'd get your ankle checked out soon, it's bad if you put off getting that injury checked out. It's not good to be stubborn when it comes down to your health.” Eren stated before walking out of the office, not really caring if this guy even considered taking his advice. 

He was about to get on the elevator when he heard a whistle from behind him. He turned to see Mr. Ackerman. “I told you that the elevator doesn't work for assholes, use the stairs!” he called out, making sure to keep watching until Eren opened the door for the stairwell. He felt a new type of hatred toward his boss starting to boil in his chest. “Double pay, double pay, healthy body, double pay.” he would repeat to himself as he walked down the stairs. 

As he walked out of the office building, he received many stares from his co-workers. “Why's he leaving early?”, “Do you think he got fired?”, “What happened? I know I came late, but I could tell the boss is pissed.” he would hear people muttering to themselves as he walked by. 

The walk home was abnormally quiet, seeing that it isn't rush hour. “I'll get a head start on Mikasa's lunch for today.” he said to himself once he found himself walking into his apartment building.


	2. Blood Is Thicker Than Water

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family is everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright you guys, this is the first time something of mine has gotten this much attention in such a short time. Seriously, I know it doesn't look like much, but all your kudos and comments made me really happy, so I just wanted to say thank you by posting another chapter. Enjoy!

Eren stared at the stairs that led to his apartment, a frown tugging on the ends of his lips. It was bad enough that his legs were aching from the walk home and the whole elevator incident, but now he has to go through this? “Just one more flight of stairs.” he muttered under his breath, lifting his tired, aching legs and wincing as soon as his foot came in contact with the step. 

Grabbing onto the railing, Eren stood on the first step, watching as a women in stiletto heels came up behind him and jogged right on up the stairs ahead of him. A jealous feeling surged inside of Eren, but he pushed it down. “You have to go make lunch for Mikasa. Come on Eren.” he whispered to himself, hoping that he could grasp enough energy to push himself to do it. 

Taking one stair at a time, Eren found himself on the second floor after a couple of minutes. Breathing a sigh of relief, he somehow made his way over to his apartment door. Tugging on the necklace around his neck, Eren pulled it off and grabbed the key that hung from it, slipping it into the doorknob and unlocking it. “Home sweet home.” he sighed as he closed the door behind him. He hung the key on the key holder and set down his stuff on the kitchen table as he loosened his tie with his other hand. He made sure to slip out of his shoes before doing anything else, knowing just how much it irks Mikasa when he walked inside with his shoes on. 

Eren's apartment was a small, humble place. The walls were white and bare, a single sofa against the living room wall and a small T.V. right across from it. Mikasa's weights were stationed next to it, as well as her rolled up yoga mat Eren had gotten her for her birthday and Christmas the past year. The living room was the only carpeted area in the place, so that was where their cat, Levi, liked to be. Eren had gotten him for Mikasa when she had moved in so that it would soften the blow of losing her parents. Levi, Mikasa decided to name him after her cousin, is now a spoiled son-of-a-bitch that does whatever he wants.

The small hallway that was connected to the living room had three doors, one led to Mikasa's room, which Eren is forbidden to go inside, and one led to Eren's. He made sure to keep it open at all times just in case Mikasa needed anything from him. The other was a small bathroom that was to be kept clean or else Mikasa would throw a fit. 

Also connected to the living room, was a tiny kitchen, consisting of a small island, that Eren thought was just in the way, a fridge, a stove, a microwave, and just a handful of cabinets. Eren opened the fridge and pulled out the sliced ham and cheese. “I'm gonna make her a sandwich.” he muttered, knowing that if he tried to make anything else, it'll probably burn down the whole building. 

Once finished, he glanced at the clock on the stove. “She's late again.” he muttered. “School gets out at two.” he huffed when he saw that it was already two-thirty. The bus should have dropped her off already. “What could that girl be doing?” 

Eren grabbed one of the four sandwiches he had made and walked, or rather limped, over to the couch. As soon as he sat down, Levi decided to hop onto his lap and direct his gaze to Eren, then to his sandwich, and then back to Eren. “No.” he said, taking a bite out of the sandwich while lightly pushing the heavy set, black cat away with his elbow. 

“Did you forget to fill his food bowl again?” he heard Mikasa say from the entrance as she closed the door behind her. “And what are you doing home this early? Did you get fired?” Mikasa asked in her normal, monotone voice. She set her backpack on the ground next to the kitchen table and unwound the red scarf from her neck, hanging it next to the Eren's key. 

“I didn't get fired, I got promoted.” Eren said through his mouthful of food, knowing that it annoys the hell out of her. 

Mikasa arched a brow in surprise. She knew the kind of job Eren had, there was almost no way that this could happen. Maybe he was fired and he just didn't want to tell her. “Promoted? Really?” she asked, choosing to ignore that Eren had talked with his mouth full. 

“Don't act so shocked!” Eren huffed, annoyed with the cat after he caught him nibbling on his bread. “Please move him.” Eren said as he took another bite out of his lunch. “So, how was your day at school?” 

Mikasa took off her shoes before walking over to him, grabbing the cat in her arms and sitting down next to Eren. “They bullied me in school again.” she stated after a couple of seconds of letting Levi nibble on her fingers before lightly scratching under his chin. 

Eren's heart sank, his hunger disappearing. Not this again. Even though she didn't show it, he could tell that those brats from her school were doing some real damage. “Mikasa, I know high school is rough, but you still have three more years of this ahead of you.” he explained, setting his food on the couch armrest before turning to give her his full attention. “... Two if you're smart enough to skip a grade.” 

“They made fun of me for being adopted.” she muttered, hugging Levi close. 

Eren's frown returned, this has been going on for a while now and he had no idea what he could do. He had offered to go to her school and demand for something to be done about this, but Mikasa had denied him that chance. He wrapped his arms around Mikasa, pulling her into a tight hug. “Mikasa, I adopted you because we were practically family, your family were good friends of my family.” that didn't sound right at all. Eren paused for a second before speaking up again. “I grew up with you, well, more like you grew up with me, I even changed some of your diapers! There's no way I would let them put you in foster care. I had to do something.” Eren said, resting his chin on top of her head. 

“We aren't family.” Mikasa said, but she leaned into the hug. 

“But we are now.” Eren assured her. “You're my family, I want you to be healthy, and I want you to be happy. I know you could handle those rude kids,” Eren paused again, this parenting thing is harder than he thought. “But if you really want, I could see if I could get you transferred to another school.” 

She nodded her head, staring down at the ground before speaking up again. “Eren, I'm stealing your youth.” 

“Stop it Mikasa.” Eren ordered with a stern voice, pulling away from the hug. “I'm telling you that I don't regret adopting you. You're my family, you're all I've got... well, you and Levi.” Eren chuckle, trying to lighten up the subject a bit, reaching to pet the cat that was still on Mikasa's lap. 

Levi turned around to face him, hissing before biting down on his fingers. Eren yelped, snatching his hand away. “Spoiled little sh-.” he stopped himself from finishing the sentence. Cussing out the cat in front of Mikasa would only make the situation worse.

“You're only twenty-five and I have not seen you bring one girl home.” Mikasa insisted, pretending that Eren didn't say anything. 

He froze. Did he hear her correctly? Did she find out? “What are you trying to get at?” he asked before he nursed his wounds by licking at them, hopefully, Mikasa would nag at him to stop and drop the subject.

“I don't want you to be lonely because of me.” Mikasa said, reaching to pull Eren's hand away from his mouth. “Don't do that.” she said, setting his hand down on his lap. 

Eren chuckled, lightly shaking his head. “It's not because of you that I don't bring anyone home.” Eren lied, giving her a light pat on the back. Eren couldn't bring a girl home because he had no interest in them. If he were to walk in with a guy, he wouldn't know how Mikasa were to react, he was too scared to loose her, to scared that she would hate him.“Girls have cooties.” he joked, poking Mikasa's side. 

Mikasa was able to crack a small smile before it disappeared again. “I want to get a job.” Mikasa said, dropping yet another bombshell on Eren. She let go of Levi, giving him a small push and watched him jump off her lap. He trotted over to the corner where the hallway connected to the living room, jumping up into the expensive as hell play tower Eren had saved up to buy him. That cat is spoiled as hell.

Eren groaned, playfully leaning his weight against Mikasa's side. Why did she decide to spring all these worries onto him today when he had such a terrible day at work? 

Mikasa has brought this subject up more than a couple times and Eren would always shoot her down with the same response. “Mikasa, I've told you time and time again that you have to be sixteen to work. One more year, okay?” 

“I need to start saving up for college. I want to help pay bills too. It's not fair to you to support me without getting anything in return.” 

“I'm earning enough to do both of those things, don't stress yourself out over things like this. You just focus on studying.” Eren smiled, happy that he could resume eating. He grabbed his sandwich and took a big bite out of it. He handled that well.

Mikasa hugged Eren, emotion getting caught in her throat. “Thank you Eren.” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Thank you for everything.” 

Eren blinked, pausing mid-bite. This was rare. With the hand that wasn't holding the sandwich, Eren lightly patted her shaking back, letting her cry against his chest. “Those are tears of joy right?” he chuckled lightly after swallowing his mouthful. 

Mikasa smiled, a small chuckle of her own escaping her. “Yeah.” This was really out of character for her, but Eren has sacrificed so much for her, it really did bring her to tears. Sniffling, Mikasa stood up and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. “I'll go make actual food.” 

“Hey!” Eren called out after her, a bit hurt. “What's wrong with my sandwiches?” 

“They're just bread with ham and cheese. Not even the good kind of cheese.” she retorted, back to her old self again. The least she could do was make sure Eren was well fed. 

Eren grabbed the controller and turned on the T.V. As he flipped through the channels, undecided on what he was going to watch, the delicious scent of warm, delectable food filled the room. Suddenly, his sandwich just wasn't good enough. 

With a small, stubborn huff, Eren stood up. His goal was to walk onto the patio through the glass sliding door next to him to escape the awesome smell of food, but his knees buckled, sending him back down onto the couch. The back of his head hit the wall, a loud smack vibrating through the room. “Ow.” Eren breathed, a hand going up and rubbing the spot that hurt. 

“What was that?” a worried Mikasa called out from the kitchen, turning to face him. 

“My knees gave out and I fell back.” Eren responded. “The elevator at work broke and I had to walk up several flights of stairs. I'm sort of in pain at the moment.” he explained, his hatred for Levi Ackerman slowly starting to grow. 

“Don't you work on the fifth floor?” Mikasa asked as she turned off the stove, moving around the tiny kitchen to set up lunch for the two of them. “You can't be that out of shape, you work out with me every other day.” 

“I know, Mikasa. I got promoted. I have to walk up thirty-seven flights of stairs every morning and go back down all those stairs on the way back. I think I might cheat a little though, I'll take the elevator once I hit the twenty-fifth floor. I just hope no one rats me out.” he laughed. 

Mikasa stared at him, confused. The Eren she knew would avoid cardio all together, what was with this? “If the elevator isn't broken, why are you using the stairs?” she asked. 

“Because my boss hates me.” 

Eren found himself explaining what had happened earlier that day and by the end of that conversation, he had to hold Mikasa back from storming out of the apartment. If he hadn't, poor Levi Ackerman would have found himself six feet underground. 

{Page Break} 

“Erwin, does that idiot seem familiar to you?” Levi asked his second in command after finally finishing the meetings of the day. Earlier in the day, Levi had to postpone yet another meeting just while he iced his ankle and had it wrapped after the swelling went down a bit.

They were the only ones left in the meeting room after everyone had gone back to work. Levi sat at the head of the table, Erwin sat to his right. Levi stared at the table in front of him, desperately trying to remember. When he saw Eren in the elevator, he could have sworn that he had seen him somewhere before, he just couldn't pin-point where. 

“I've been wanting to talk to you about him. What in the world possessed you to promote him the way you did without talking things through with me?” Erwin asked. “The position you offered doesn't even exist, how the hell are you going to double his pay?” 

“I'll pay him out of my own pocket.” Levi said, leaning back in his chair. “I just- there's just- he... God, his name seems so familiar, I know this guy. I know him from somewhere.” 

Erwin stayed quiet, for Levi to offer up his own money the way he was, Eren must be pretty important. “... Do you think he's connected in any way with Mikasa?” 

Levi shrunk in his seat, running a hand through his hair. It hit him, it fucking hit him. “Fuck.” he growled lowly. “I knew it. Uncle was close friends with his dad. I thought Eren died in the accident... How did he not recognize me? How the fuck did he not recognize my last name? Doesn't he know this company was my uncle's?” The questions left Levi before he could process them.

“Mikasa's last name is different than yours Levi. You guys are cousins, not siblings... You didn't really like to go out either, so I'm pretty sure Eren hardly saw much of you.” Erwin muttered, searching his brain for answers. “Didn't you tell me that your uncle kept his work life a secret from his family? Do you think he kept Eren's family in the dark too? More importantly, do you think he knows what happened to Mikasa?” 

“He might not know shit.” Levi growled lowly. “Damn legal system wouldn't tell me who adopted her. I know I'm a suspect, but to go as far as to deny me the chance to adopt her.” Levi felt anger slowly numb his pain. He felt fire crawl through his body, starting to consume him. “I could provide a loving, wealthy home for her. God, I hope she isn't in some shit hole right now. Why the hell is it taking so long for me to find her?” 

“Levi, don't be so hard on yourself. It was suspicious, but it's not your fault that you were given the company after they died. You were the only family old enough to inherit it.” Erwin tried to comfort his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder, but it was shaken off. 

“Find out where he lives.” Levi said, taking in a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself down. His finger went to tug on his tie, loosening it a bit. He was a mess. How the hell did Eren find a way to work in his company without Levi finding out? 

“You aren't in your right mind right now Levi. I'm not going to do it, at least not until you think this through. We aren't even sure-” 

“Find out where the fuck he lives Erwin! I've waited years! Years! Fucking years to find out where the hell Mikasa disappeared to, and you're denying me the chance! I'll fire you if I have to Erwin! You know I fucking will!” Levi snarled, slamming his fist against the table, standing up fast enough to send his chair flying. Levi was more than pissed at this point, he was livid! His heart was racing, his blood boiling. All this time, Eren had been right under his nose and he's just now finding out about him. 

“Calm yourself down Levi. Calm down before you do anything you regret.” Erwin warned. 

“It wasn't my fault their brakes didn't work. I didn't do anything. I didn't tamper them.” Levi breathed, his legs threatening to give out from under him. He willed himself to breath in deep breaths as he crouched down, hands grasping the edge of the table so tight, they turned an unhealthy shade of white. “I didn't kill them, it wasn't me.” 

“Levi-” 

“It wasn't me!” Levi shouted, not wanting to hear what Erwin was going to say. He shook his head, trying to focus on his breathing again. “I didn't kill them.” 

Erwin stared at the broken man that was his friend, a sad sigh tumbling past his lips. “I think you should go home for today Levi.” Erwin wanted to believe that it was really just an accident, he wanted to believe that the police were just overreacting, but the facts were against him. Levi didn't want to go out the night of the crash after getting into a verbal confrontation with his uncle. The car was brand new, there's no way there could have been something wrong with it. 

“Erwin, I didn't kill them. It wasn't me.” Levi insisted. He just wanted his family back, he didn't want to be alone anymore. Where was Mikasa when he needed her? 

“Go home Levi. Just... go home and rest. We'll deal with this tomorrow.”


	3. Reality And Fiction Go Hand In Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mikasa gets a hard dose of reality while Levi thinks of ways to get close to Eren

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, I don't know how long it'll take for Eren to walk up all those stairs. -_-

Stretching her arms over her head, Mikasa let out a small sigh as she walked down the hall way and knocked on Eren's open door in an attempt to wake him up. It was six in the morning and she was as ready as she'll ever be to walk to school. “Eren? Do you want me to walk alone today?” she asked the lump under the covers. 

“No, it's too dark.” Eren yawned in response, taking a couple of seconds to sit up in his bed, his covers falling onto his lap. God, he was beyond tired, but he had to suck it up. There was no way in hell that Mikasa was about to walk all the way to school, by herself, in the dark. There was just no way Eren was going to take that chance. 

“Are you sure? It's only a couple of blocks down, I could walk by myself.” Mikasa said, knowing well that if anything were to happen, she would easily be able to handle herself. Eren was just being an overprotective worry-wort. 

“No. Mikasa. Why do you ask the same thing every morning if you know what my answer is going to be?” Eren asked with a tired smirk. “Just wait a couple of minutes, I need to wake up.” Eren grumbled, dangling his legs off the side of his bed, hunching over to rest his head in the palm of his hands. “I need to buy you a car.” he breathed before stretching his arms over his head, groaning, almost falling back onto the bed. 

“I don't know how to drive...” Mikasa muttered, clutching her backpack to her chest. She felt like a burden, if it weren't for her, Eren wouldn't bother getting up this early in the morning. 

“I don't either...” Eren sighed, running his fingers through his hair, pushing it back, only for it to jump back into place after being let go. “I'll need to pay for classes I guess.” he said, numbers a dollar signs making their rounds inside his mind. 

“Why don't we just call my cousin-” 

“Mikasa, no, we don't need anyone's money.” Eren snapped at her, knowing what she was about to suggest. Mikasa had no idea that her cousin was a suspect in their family's car accident. Eren didn't want her to start hating Levi for something he might not have done. At least not until the case is closed. At this point, it feels like it never will, it's been nearly five years since the accident. Rubbing the back of his neck, Eren stood up and groaned again, there goes that ache in his legs. At least it's not as bad as it was the night before. Poor Mikasa had to help him tend to his aching legs. 

“Eren, my cousin Levi is my family, and you always say that family sticks together. Even though it's been a couple of years, I'm sure Levi might be able to send some money-”

“Levi is in a tight spot right now Mikasa. He moved away, I thought I told you that.” Eren lied through his teeth. He really didn't know who her cousin was, nor what he did for a living, what he looked like, or how much money he made. He didn't want to know either. 

“When was the last time he called? I miss him.” Mikasa sighed as she set her backpack down on the floor and grabbed the red scarf Eren had given her on Valentines day, wrapping it around her neck and covering her mouth and nose with it. Mikasa wasn't all that popular at her school, so Eren thought it would be nice to give her a small gift, now she doesn't step out of the apartment without it. 

“It's been a while Mikasa, I'm sure he's pretty busy.” Eren lied again. The guy never called, nor did Eren expect him to. As far as Eren knows, the bastard didn't even attempt to talk to Mikasa after what happened. Every time Mikasa mentioned him, Eren found himself getting annoyed. It's one of the reasons he doesn't really care for the cat. Grabbing a change of clothing and excusing himself, he walked around Mikasa. “I'm going to change.” he said, not watching where he stepped. 

There was a loud screech that startled Eren enough to jump back, sending his heart racing. A soft lump of black jumped away from his foot. “Stupid Levi.” he growled under his breath, too low for Mikasa to hear. 

Levi hissed at him and clawed at the air in his direction before running off in the other direction. Eren was tempted to hiss back but Mikasa wouldn't approve. Instead, he straightened his posture and walked to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. 

Mikasa watched the door close, her heart aching, Eren really was the only family she had left. “You too Levi.” she sighed when she felt her spoiled cat rub against her leg. She reached down to pat his head before grabbing her backpack and pulling it over her shoulders. “Did that mean ol' grouch hurt you?” she teased, kneeling down to continue petting Levi while she waited for Eren to get ready. 

The entire walk to school, Mikasa didn't mention her cousin, knowing that it'll upset Eren. They were only halfway there when she spoke up. “I could walk on my own from here. You need more sleep Eren, go home.” Mikasa said, picking up the pace a bit, leaving Eren in the dust with a small wave of her hand. 

Eren halted with a small, worried sigh. He knows she'll be fine, but in his eyes, she was still a defenseless child. “She's growing up too fast.” he muttered before turning on his heels. He knew that the way he snapped at Mikasa hurt her, but it's best that she doesn't get her hopes up over her cousin. 

As Eren walked, he began to calculate just how long it would take to walk up the flight of stairs. “I'll leave the house at eight, I'd rather be early than late.” he grumbled, a tired yawn escaping him as he rubbed his tired eyes with the palm of his hands. As soon as he got home, Eren set his phone alarm for seven-thirty and passed out on the couch for the time he had left. 

True to his word, Eren left home at eight. He had thrown on some black jogging pants, a white T-shirt and wore his workout shoes. If he was going to be forced to run up those stairs, he was going to do it wearing the appropriate gear. 

Eren stretched his muscles, knowing that not doing so the other day was one of his many mistakes. “Let's go to work.” he muttered to himself. In one hand, he held a bag that contained his work clothes and shoes, deodorant and other necessities of the sort, in the other, he held his suitcase, containing several blank sheets of paper and other work necessities. “Let's hope he's not as much of a pain in the ass today as he was yesterday.” 

{Page Break} 

“Levi, I don't think it's a good idea to have this guy so close to you.” Erwin said as he finished up cleaning out the office closet, grabbing the last box and setting it on top of the other stacked boxes. 

Levi was standing next to him, leaning most of his weight on his good foot. He managed to recover from last nights little break down and was now thinking about how he was going to deal with this. “I have so many questions to ask him, Erwin. He has to know where Mikasa is, he just has to.” he muttered, moving to lean against the wall. 

With a slight twitch of his nose, Erwin straightened his posture and dusted off his hands. “Listen Levi, you're his boss, not his friend. Even if you were to ask him all those questions, I don't think he'll answer them. Especially since you are making him take the stairs all the way up here instead of taking the elevator. Now that I'm thinking about it, there is also the probability of him thinking the accident was your fault.” Erwin said. “I wouldn't want to talk to you if I were him.” 

“Huh.” Levi sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He saw only one solution to the problems that Erwin had brought up. “You're right. I have to become his friend.” 

Erwin's brows furrowed. Was that really what Levi got out of his little speech? “Levi, that's not what I'm saying at all, for all we know, he might not even know you're her cousin. Wouldn't it be weird to hear all those questions coming from a complete stranger.” 

“Yeah, you've got a point... I need to get close to him first. I need to find out just how much he knows.” Levi muttered before giving Erwin a pat in a back. “You could go now, I have to think of a way to get close to this guy.” 

“What about all these boxes? You can't put all that much weight on your ankle.” Erwin said, gesturing to the tower of boxes full of files. 

“Just leave them there, Eren will clean it up.” Levi thoughtlessly said with a wave of his hand. “Thanks for the advice, I'll find a way to make him my friend in no time.” 

Erwin stared at him with disbelieving eyes, Levi was wasting his time if he was going to treat Eren like that. Before he could object, there was a knock at the door. With a glance at his watch, he saw that Eren wasn't due to come in until nine, he still had thirty minutes left. They didn't have any meetings scheduled for a couple of hours, who could it be? 

“Come in!” Levi called out, without a second thought. Maybe if he gave him a bonus? Buy him a car, perhaps? Buy him drinks? That might work, after all, who doesn't like free alcohol? “I have thirty minutes left, Erwin. Do you have any ideas as to what I could do?” 

Eren opened the door with one hand while he ran his other hand though his hair, pushing it away from his eyes. He peaked inside before opening the door wider. “I'm not interrupting anything am I?” Eren asked. His cheeks were a light red and he looked exhausted, he was sweaty and nasty, but he looked fucking hot as hell. Levi felt a bit conflicted, he didn't like the fact that he was so... dirty, but at the same time, Eren looked really attractive. Would he look that way during sex? 

“Not really, I was just cleaning this out of the closet.” Erwin said, pointing to the boxes. Erwin's voice snapped Levi back to reality, it was a good thing too, Levi was about to start undressing him in his mind. 

Shaking his head, Levi stood up and walked over to Erwin while Eren was looking around the office. “I'm not ready, Erwin, he's fucking early.” he hissed under his breath. 

“I tried talking to you about him, but you've clearly don't want to hear what I have to say.” Erwin responded with a small shrug. Levi had dug himself into a hole. 

Levi shot him a glare and clicked his tongue in disappointment. “Are you done looking around?” he called out, turning his back to his friend to give Eren his full attention. 

“Hm? Oh, yeah.” Eren said, but his eyes still wandered. Why hadn't he noticed this the other day? The office was bigger than his entire apartment. The back wall was just one whole window overlooking the city... which Eren couldn't help but think that it looked crappy. The carpet was a nice, dark shade of blue, while the walls were a pale boring shade of the same color. 

Levi cleared his throat, demanding Eren's attention. “You didn't use the elevator did you?” 

Eren quickly shook his head, straightening his posture. “No, I didn't know how long it would take me to actually run up those stairs with sore legs, so I figured it'd be better if I were early rather than late.” 

Levi clicked his tongue after looking Eren over one more time. “You don't really expect to work like that do you?” Levi asked, he had a feeling the look Eren was sporting was only going to be attractive for a couple of minutes before it got disgusting.

“I brought a change of clothes.” Eren said. He had thought it through, but he had miscalculated. “I know it's weird to ask, but do you guys have a shower here?” Eren asked, a slight blush on his cheeks. “I'd hate to just change into something else while I'm this sweaty.” 

Erwin was about to respond with a smirk and a 'no', but Levi beat him to the punch. “Follow me.” he sighed, walking over to the back of his office where there was a door that Eren had failed to see earlier. Levi pulled out his keys from his pocket and unlocked it. 

Brows furrowed, Erwin watched as Eren followed Levi into the top secret bathroom. This had never happened before. Levi had had it built and no one was allowed to take one step in there, no matter what kind of emergency. “Hell must have frozen over.” he muttered, deciding to forget he was ever in there and walk out. He had work to do anyways. 

“You better not tell anyone that this is here, they'll think I'm playing favorites and I'm not about to share this with anyone else.” Levi threatened as he turned on the lights. 

Eren stood in the spacious, beautiful bathroom. It was bigger than both his kitchen and living room put together. Shaking his head, Eren decided that he should just hop into the shower and wash up before Levi decided not to let him use it. Setting down his suitcase and his bag of clothes, Eren grasped the hem of his shirt before glancing over at his boss. “I'll just be a couple of minutes.” Eren said, waiting for Levi to walk out of the room. 

With wide eyes, Levi realized that he was holding his breath, waiting for Eren to tear off his shirt. That white shirt Eren was wearing drew his attention to his abs and pecks, hugging close to his body. Levi was torn, he wanted to stand there and watch him tear the shirt off, but he knew that he had to walk away. He didn't want to get sued for sexual assault or anything of the sort. 

Levi walked out without a word, quietly closing the door behind him. He walked over to his desk and just stared out at nothing in particular before letting his head fall onto the desk. “He's hotter than he was yesterday.” he groaned, lightly pounding his fist against the desk in frustration. Quickly, he stood up, a not so bright idea hitting him. “One peek won't hurt...” he groaned, before pinching his arm, forcing himself to stop thinking like that. 

“Ow.” he muttered. “No, I need to make him my friend, not my lover. He might know where Mikasa is.” Levi muttered to himself as he sat back down, staring at the stacked boxes in front of him. “He should have organized the boxes before taking that shower. He's going to get all sweaty again... Shit.” he muttered, his mind going back to those dirty thoughts. It didn't help that Levi heard the shower in the bathroom turn on. All he could imagine was water running down Eren's hot, naked body. “Shit.” he muttered again. “I need to get laid.” 

As Eren ran his hands through his wet hair, he thought back to when he entered the building earlier that morning. There were more than just a few gasps of shock surrounding him. Everyone had thought that he was fired, yet no one had ever bothered to even stop him to ask why the hell he was back. It's funny, somehow, everyone would remember him for the ass that didn't hold the elevator for the boss and somehow got promoted for it. 

Snickering, Eren moaned as the warm water relaxed his tense muscles. Running up those stairs was going to be hell for him, but if he had this too look forward to afterwards, it might just be worth it. 


	4. A Regular Day At Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just another day at work, Levi keeps having trouble thinking of ways to ask Eren questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it's taken me so much time to get back to writing, so much has happened to me. Hopefully writing will get my mind off of it.

Securing his tie, Eren looked at himself in the mirror, his hair was a mess but it was okay since the mirror was fogged up. If he couldn’t see how messy it was, then neither could everyone else. That’s the lie he decided to go with as he ran his fingers through his still wet hair, pushing it back and calling it done.  
With a small twitch of his nose, Eren walked over to the bathroom door, not before grabbing a hold of his sweaty clothing, and opening it. He stepped out and was greeted to a frustrated looking Mr. Akerman. His boss was sitting down behind his desk, his shoulders hunched forward as he stared down at the papers that were sprawled across his desk, brows furrowed and the edges of his lips pulled down into a frown.  
Clearing his throat, Eren took a couple of steps towards him, hiding his clothing behind his back. “So, what should I start with?” Eren asked him in the most monotone voice he could manage, drawing inspiration from Mikasa.  
Startled, Levi looked up at the man that interrupted his concentration. He had to hold himself back from snapping at him and instead, chose to take a deep breath in and wave his hand in the direction of the boxes that were piled by the closet of his office. “You could start by cleaning up your new office.” Levi said before glancing down at the paper work.  
He wasn’t even thinking about the words that were typed on the sheets of paper. He was trying to think of ways he could bring up the questions he needed answers to. Levi let out a small sigh, frustrated beyond belief. He didn’t want to rush this and ruin the one chance he had to find what’s left of his family.  
“So Eren, how long have you been working for me?” Levi asked without looking up, opting for picking up some of the sheets and rummaging through some of them, leaning back in his chair. Some small talk should break the ice.  
Confused as to why his boss would ask him such a question, Eren looked back at him as he walked towards the boxes. Just as he was going to respond, his foot collided with one of the boxes, causing him to lurch forward and fall on top of it, his clothes flying out of his hands and scattering around on the ground before him.  
Groaning Eren pushed himself up, a light blush gracing his cheeks as he dusted himself off. He could hear Mr. Ackerman chuckling behind him. With a small huff, Eren adjusted his tie and looked back over at his boss. “A whole year now.” he grunted before reaching down to pick up his clothes. “Where do you want me to put all of this?” Eren asked him, referring to the boxes that were piled up inside and in front of his new office.  
Levi finished his chuckle and cocked his head in the direction of the door. “There’s another closet across the hall. Just cram them all in there. Except for the one you tripped over, that one is one of the things that I need you to file for me.” Levi said, before returning his attention to the papers in front of him with a light shake of his head.  
Eren couldn’t help but huff at the tiny smile that had replaced the frown because of his clumsiness. Stuffing the clothes into the bag that he had brought before setting it against the wall, Eren straightened his posture and took in a deep breath, preparing himself for the work out.  
Levi sat there, secretly watching Eren move all the boxes out of his closet and over to the one across the hall. He enjoyed it more than he would ever like to admit. The way that Eren’s ass looked as he walked out of his office was enough to make him lick his lips.   
A good half hour passed and Eren was out of breath, but finally finished with the task at hand. He glanced over at his boss, that did not bother to lift a finger to help him. “Is that it?” Eren breathed, rubbing the back of his neck, taking a moment to catch his breath.  
“For now.” Levi responded as he leaned down, opening a drawer of his desk and pulled two water bottles, sitting one in front of him and the other on the edge of his desk, kicking the drawer shut. “Take a five minute break.” he said as he opened his water bottle and taking a sip out of it, watching Eren move everything had made him thirsty in more ways than one.  
Eren plopped down in one of the chairs on his side of the desk and grabbed the bottle of water before Mr. Ackerman could take it back. “Thank you.” Eren muttered under his breath as he unscrewed the top and took several loud gulps from it.  
“So Eren, do you have any hobbies?” Levi asked him nonchalantly, giving the ice breaking another stab. Hopefully, Eren gives a more detailed answer this time.  
“I’m too busy for hobbies.” Eren said bluntly. He honestly didn’t feel like talking to his boss, he was low key pissed that he had to do all this exercise all by himself. If he hated one thing, it would have to be working out alone. It made him really self conscious about who might be watching him.  
Levi took a small sip of his water before crossing his right leg over his left one. “Do you have a wife that takes up all your time?” Levi asked him, finding himself hoping that Eren would say no.  
Eren couldn’t help the small chuckle that tumbled past his lips. “I have a child to take care of, I don’t have time for anything now a days.” he said, a small smile finding its way onto his lips. No matter how time consuming Mikasa may be, he was so proud of her. He really didn’t regret adopting her. She really was the only family he had left.  
“Is that so?” Levi said, suddenly really disinterested in Eren. That was a good way to turn him off. Levi found that his interest in Eren had disappeared completely. “You could go back to work now. Start by sweeping your new office.” Levi said, shooing him off with a flick of his wrist.  
“But it hasn’t been five minutes yet.” Eren said, not really wanting to get up. It came out more of a whine than a statement. Eren’s legs and arms were aching, all those boxes were heavier than he thought they’d be.  
“Did I ask? Do your job.” Levi said, rotating his chair so that his back was to Eren and he was facing the window. He stared out at the large, blue sky, a small sigh escaping him. He had to think of a way to get information out of him without making it too obvious.  
With a slight roll of his eyes, Eren set the water bottle down on the table and pushed himself out of the chair, wincing when his legs started to ache again.  
-Page break-  
Five o’clock came around a lot faster than it normally did for Eren. Surprisingly, he was expecting it to take forever to come, since his boss was just staring at him all day, not bothering to say a single word, no matter how many times Eren tried to talk to him, it seemed like he was too busy roaming around in his own little world. After the third time trying to bring something up, Eren just gave up and concentrated on his work. With a small sigh, Eren wiped the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand and set down the cleaning supplies he had in his hand on his new desk.  
His new office was a little bigger than his old cubicle, but it still gave him claustrophobia. The desk took up most of the room, which only made things worse. Eren will just have to keep his door open.  
With a small sigh, Eren picked up his bag of clothes and his suit case and headed out. Maybe if he left without saying anything, he could take the elevator without being noticed. He glanced over at Mr. Ackerman. He was staring angrily at the bunch of papers in front of him.  
Without saying a word, Eren walked out of the office and speed walked to the elevator, clicking the open button and anxiously waiting for the doors to open. He held his breath until the elevator made a loud ding noise and it’s doors opened.  
Eren was about to step in but stopped when he saw the blonde tall man leaning against the wall of the elevator. With an arched eyebrow, the man shook his head. “I thought Levi told you you couldn’t use the elevator.” he simply stated.  
Taking in a deep breath, Eren took a step back and began to walk towards the stairs, shaking his head in disappointment.  
“Hold on.” the man sighed. “Get in here before he sees you.” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. He thought Levi was kidding when he said he would make the guy take the stairs. He couldn’t believe how petty his friend could be.  
Eren got in before the guy could change his mind, the doors closing behind him. “Thank you.” he said, breathing in a small sigh of relief.   
“Yeah, don’t mention it Eren.” Erwin said, folding his arms in front of his chest. “How was your first day on the job?” Erwin asked him, trying to make small talk as he watched Eren click on the first floor button.  
Eren looked back at him. “I’m sorry, I saw you today and yesterday. What’s your name?” he asked, choosing to ignore the question, not really wanting to talk about his awkward day.  
“My name’s Erwin Smith, I’m Levi’s secretary.” he said, looking down at Eren with a small, polite, yet forced smile.  
“So, we’re co-workers then.” Eren stated, forcing the same smile on his face. He was too tired to care about anything, all he wanted to do was walk home and throw himself into bed.  
“Technically, we’ve always been co-workers.” Erwin pointed out before the elevator doors opened on the first floor.  
Eren gave him a dry chuckle and a small nod. “I guess so. I’ll see you tomorrow.” he said with a small wave of his hand and quickly stepped out of the elevator before Erwin could get another word in.  
Erwin watched him walk away before the elevator doors closed behind him. “Don’t get to close too Levi. You’ll end up hurt.” he muttered under his breath with a light shake of his head. Ever since the accident, Levi hasn’t been the same, he’s been a lot colder. Eren’s gonna be put through hell for the duration of his time here.  
Back in his office, Levi cleared his throat and sat back in his chair. Just as he was about to close his eyes for a couple minutes, Erwin walked in without knocking. "Did you find out where he lives?" Levi asked him, motioning for him to sit down in front of him.  
"Yeah, here." Erwin said, reaching into his pocket as he sat down, pulling out a sticky note. "Why did you want to know?" he asked as he reached over to place it in front of Levi.  
Levi glanced up at him and then down at the note, nibbling on his bottom lip. "No reason." he lied, lightly tapping on the sticky note.  
Erwin stared at him with a suspicious gaze. "Really?"  
"Yeah, I've calmed down." he said with a small shrug. Levi didn't want to tell him what he was going to do, knowing fully well that Erwin would try to talk him out of it. Eren was going to receive a visit from him. He was going to get to the end of this, he will find Mikasa.


End file.
